Land rights storm brewing in Queensland

The Federal Native Title Act is partly standing in the way of the Queensland government's plans to double its food production within the next 30 years.

Queensland is moving to secure better tenure for farmers by altering state conservation laws, but the current Native Title law is proving a sticking point.

Some are now predicting that a Coalition-led federal gornement could bring about changes to the Native Title Act to boost economic development in the north.

National Manager of the Wilderness Society's Indigenous Conservation Program Tony Esposito said under the current system, the government was effectively extinguishing native title rights.

"I think if you go back to the mid '90s and the reaction to the Wik decision, the farmers federations were clearly opponents of Native Title and campaigned very hard to defeat it and extinguish it. And in effect I think you can see that agenda still at play in the announcements yesterday," he said.

"The government is looking at a pathway in co-operation with the rural sector to freehold parts of the leasehold state. This effectively means extinguishing the native title rights, only now they recognise it involves some form of compensation, but that's clearly what they've signalled they intend to do".

Murri people can make agreements with farmers, similar to ones with mining companies which can lead to training, jobs and other benefits.

The price is signing an Indigenous Land Use Agreement, an Ilua, and having your native title extinguished.

But Mr Esposito said the Coalition's agenda offered somethhing new.

"They've described north Australia has the new frontier. They intend to freehold and promote and expand agriculture and other such land uses and they'll do it partly under the guise of Indigenous economic development but the proof is in the pudding, where is that economic development that comes from these policies," he said.

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